I’m one of those mothers who’s not shy about breastfeeding in public – sushi restaurants, brewery tours, the New York State Fair — if my daughter’s hungry, it’s time to eat. Where ever we are. Sometimes I cover up, sometimes I don’t, but I always try to be as discreet as possible and no one has ever complained (as far as I know).

It seems I’m in good company, as most Americans aren’t bothered when they happen across a nursing mother. In response to a recent Top Question Tuesday question submitted by one of our readers, we asked how Americans feel about breastfeeding in public, and nearly 80% believe women should be allowed to breastfeed in public or private places they would otherwise be allowed to be. Overall, more than half (51%) believe a woman should have to cover up while nursing in public, but more than one in four (28%) are fine with public nursing without a cover. Younger Americans are particularly tolerant of nursing in public while uncovered – 50% of those age 18 to 24 feel this way, compared to just 11% of those 70 or older. This anything-goes attitude about breastfeeding is also more common among men (38%) than women (18%), which may or may not come as a surprise, depending on your perspective.

Some nursing mothers have caught some very public flak as of late for feeding their babies out in the open. One mother at an Indiana Olive Garden was asked to nurse her baby in the restaurant’s rest room after complaints were made to the manager. Another was told to cover up at a Chic-Fil-A in Orlando, prompting a group of nursing mothers to hold a “nurse-in” at the fast food restaurant. Facebook has a policy of removing some images that show women breastfeeding, which lead the formation of a group called “Hey Facebook, Breastfeeding Is Not Obscene!”

To the 16% of Americans who believe women should be allowed to nurse in public places, as long as that place is a restroom (given that I have found very few places that have specially designated nursing areas for privacy) – would YOU like to eat your food in a public restroom? I think not. Even before I became a mother, I would much rather be in the general proximity of a woman quietly nursing than listen to hungry baby shrieking to be fed. As for the 2% of Americans who believe women shouldn’t be allowed to nurse in public at all, I have a gentle suggestion. If you see a woman nursing her baby in a restaurant, perhaps you should keep your eyes on your own food, instead of what her baby’s eating.

I know many who refer to women who insist on nursing in public by such unflattering names like “breastfeeding Nazis”, but I often wonder if they pass equal judgment on the other cases of much more blatant breast exposure – like the scantily clad women on the covers of magazines by the grocery store checkout and in countless advertisements on billboards and television that leave nothing to the imagination.

By Stephanie DeVries, who works in Zogby’s Corporate Communications and Research department, and is a proud nursing mother who is ready to take part in a nurse- in at a moment’s notice, should one ever come to Utica.

Leann Uncategorized communication, television, Top Question Tuesday, work, zogby

For the generation born from 1945-1964, the Vietnam War was the tumultuous event which divided this group more than any other.  And while many were appalled before, and especially after the results of Woodstock, the three-day music festival was the one event during this era which best captured the zeitgeist of this time- rebellion- and whether boomers agreed with the war or not, many could relate to that on some level.  However, the aftermath of the festival still revealed a stark divide amongst this age cohort.

Naturally I ponder similar questions for my generation born from 1979-1990; what is our definitive era, what is the big day that had a profound impact, and did it divide us or unite us?
For First Globals™, our era is no doubt defined by the telecommunications revolution that started in the 1980s and advanced into the 1990s so that a near majority of homes had cell phones, internet, or both. 

But unlike the Vietnam War for our parents generation, the T.C. revolution brought us closer to each other both within our regions and to some degree around our country (think chat rooms for special interests, instant messaging- thus the greater possibility to network outside of our high schools and cities).  And it was this era of networking and keeping in touch which many of us spent much of our teenage years engaging in, that prepared us for the day that shook us just like our parents had been shaken by various shocking events of the 1960s and early 1970s- that day for us was 9/11.

In fact 9/11 was an existential moment for many of us.  Some of us started attending church services and looking inward, while many did the exact opposite and found meaning by looking outward- hence the explosion in college students majoring in International Studies, East Asian Studies, Middle Eastern studies, and traveling abroad.

In short, 9/11 was the event in our short-lived history that ultimately defined us as a Global Generation because it allowed us to apply our networking and ultra-inclusive communicative skills learned through texting, instant messaging, and chat rooms, and apply them on an internationally practical level.  This is why we see countless members of the First Global™ generation who have made friends abroad and maintained through various social networking sites. 

Furthermore, 9/11 was the event that ultimately put the final nail in our parochial coffin and helped usher many of us to be more active in something more powerful than we had previously ever known- the global exchange of ideas.

While many Baby Boomers get much slack for continuing their indulgent behavior into their mature adult years; what are the behavioral tendencies of the Global Generation and are they likely to tarnish their image down the line, or have they already?

Jeremy first globals communication, evolution, first globals, history, international, internet, middle east, music, travel, war, work

A few weeks ago, we at Zogby surveyed consumers on the quality of customer service given by a number of major companies or brands. You can read a summary of the results of the ten best companies here  and the ten worst companies here. We also blogged about the fact that four of the companies on the ten worst list are in telecommunications and enjoyed reading your ideas of why this might be.

Another interesting pattern turns up on our list of the ten best companies. Four of these ten companies are grocery stores – Costco, ranked 9th, Whole Foods (7th), Publix (6th) and Trader Joe’s (2nd). Both Costco and Trader Joe’s are known for their low prices, while Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are known for their wide selection – including plenty of organic fare, particularly at Whole Foods. Meanwhile, grocery chain Publix gives all employees the opportunity to buy company stock after working a selected length of time. An MSN article on Publix quotes Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous as attributing their high ranking to being partially employee-owned, and Brous notes that because of this, “our associates have an investment in providing good customer service.”

Do you generally feel that you receive good customer service in your grocery store? Are prices and availability of organic food major factors in where you choose to shop for groceries, or are other factors, such as location or being locally owned, more important to you? If you shop at any of the stores we ranked, how would you rate their customer service?

Katy culture, lifestyles communication, consumption, lifestyle, work, zogby

We’ve done a lot of polling recently on how people get their news and what sources they most trust. We wanted to find out more about why the Internet is in rapid ascendance, while newspapers are on the media endangered species list.
The results come from two Zogby Interactive surveys taken in the past month, one in conjunction with 463 Communications and the other a Zogby project. One question produced a particularly curious result.  We asked which of the four primary information sources was most reliable.

Go to John Zogby’s weekly column at Forbes.com  and read about why many people believe the Internet is the most reliable media source of information. Also, read more about our survey on the Internet and other media here.

Paul John Zogby, communication, internet, media communication, internet, John Zogby, media, television, zogby

A new Zogby-MSN poll ranked the 10 companies with the worst customer service in America as determined by poll-takers. You can read the MSN article, along with the complete list of the ten worst companies,  here. And the ten best companies, which we’ll blog about later, are here.

Of the ten companies on the “worst company list”, four are banks – Capital One, HSBC, Bank of America and Citigroup. Another four are in communications – AOL, Comcast, Sprint/Nextel and Qwest.

What does it mean that eight of the ten worst companies polled are either in banking or communications? From a consumer’s perspective, is there something inherently “bad” or negative about any encounter with a bank or an internet/phone company? Or are some banks and communications truly better than others, and the ones on this list happen to be the worst? What have your experiences been with banks and communications companies?

Katy culture communication, internet, polls, zogby